Outstanding Student Leaders: The Waves Effect

Chirag Patel

Chirag Patel is one of three student leaders of The Waves Effect, which is a fully integrated, student-run communications agency. He was approached to become a part of The Waves Effect because of his experience at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he and fellow students created a similar student-run club.

Chirag Patel is a graduate student at Seaver College pursuing a Master of Arts in Media Production. He grew up in Los Angeles and attended UCSB where he majored in Communications and minored in Philosophy.

Patel would like to write and produce TV commercials after he finishes his graduate program. "I like the challenge of mixing creativity with sales," said Patel. "I like the creative freedom that this field offers because of the variety."

Pepperdine's media production and communications program stood out to Patel as he looked at different graduate schools.

"The help I received during the application process was very friendly and I liked the atmosphere when I visited," Patel said.

At Pepperdine, Patel serves as the Sports Editor of the Graphic, a student-run publication, and focuses on media production for The Waves Effect.

"The Waves Effect gives students a creative outlet to express their skills in advertising, public relations and design. This is a great facet for the school and means for clubs and organizations," he said.

Patel believes that The Waves Effect is a great way to build learning experience for students and says, "It has built my portfolio and I can show possible employers my work and my experience."

Patel says he hopes that the client base and legacy of The Waves Effect will continue to grow.

Hannah Loudermilk

"A great quality about Pepperdine's Communication Division is that the faculty and staff offer opportunities that mold and shape to your interest," said Hannah Loudermilk, a graduate student who is currently working on her Master's of Arts Degree in Communication.

Loudermilk is currently working with Pepperdine's student-run communications agency, The Waves Effect, as the advertising and design executive. Along with other faculty and students, she is excited to present  and lead one of the Communication Division's experiential learning programs. "This agency unites students studying public relations, integrated marketing communications, advertising, media production and business and gives them the opportunity to use their talent, skills, and create strategic and effective campaigns that will help campus organizations". She said she sees a bright future for The Waves Effect and looks forward to students advancing in their expertise, challenge them to think of new and innovative solutions, and serve the Pepperdine Community.

In addition to being a student and working with The Waves Effect, Loudermilk works as a Creative Accounts Coordinator for McBeard Media where she creates social media content for popular and upcoming brands. She believes that working while obtaining a graduate degree has allowed her to use the applicable skills and knowledge she had learned in her undergraduate career and utilize them in the real world. She acknowledges that Pepperdine's Communication Division has greatly contributed to her achievements in the classroom and the professional field.

"Pepperdine's sense of community is incredible," said Loudermilk, about the students and faculty that push her to challenge herself academically and professionally. "At Pepperdine you have professors that care, take you under their wing, see your passions, and present you with opportunities to set you up for success," Loudermilk said. She said she looks forward to taking the knowledge, resources, and encouragement she receives from Pepperdine to continue working in the advertising field with creative teams who push the boundaries of the advertising world.